The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a brush seal and particularly relates to a method of manufacturing a generic brush bristle pack which can be formed to required diameters, in segments, with enhanced efficiency, minimum cost, and reduced manufacturing time.
Brush seals are typically employed for sealing between stationary and rotary components, e.g. packing about a rotary shaft in a turbine, and between high and low pressure regions on opposite sides of the seal. Conventional bristle packs particularly in high temperature environments require precise placement of super alloy bristles while maintaining tight tolerances. It will be appreciated that particular angles and varying separation between the bristles is required and for different diameter applications. Current methods of manufacture essentially require manual orientation of the bristles on a machined fence. As will be appreciated, this is a time consuming and costly method of manufacture. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of manufacturing brush seals in which a lower cost generic brush seal bristle pack can be fabricated and rolled to a required radius of curvature with minor machining to fit the application.